The Golden Telephone
An Australian decided to write a book about famous
churches around the world. So he bought a plane ticket
and took a trip to England thinking that he would
start by working his way across Europe.
On his first day he was inside a church taking
photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted
on the wall with a sign that read "$10,000 per call".
The Australian, being intrigued, asked a priest who
was strolling by what the telephone was used for. The
priest replied that it was a direct line to heaven and
that for $10,000 you could talk to God. The
Australian thanked the priest and went along his way.
Next stop was in France . There, at a very large
cathedral, he saw the same golden telephone with the
same sign under it. He wondered if this was the same
kind of telephone he saw in England and he asked a
nearby nun what its purpose was.
She told him that it was a direct line to heaven and
that for $10,000 he could talk to God.
"O.K., thank you," said the Australian.
He then traveled to Spain , Italy, Germany , Sweden
and Czech Republic . In every church he saw the same
golden telephone with the same "$10,000 per call"
sign under it. The Australian, upon leaving the
Netherlands , decided to travel to Greece to see if
Greeks had the same phone.
He arrived in Greece , and again, in the first church
he entered, there was the same golden telephone, but
this time the sign under it read, "$0.40 cents per
call."
The Australian was surprised so he asked the priest
about the sign.
"Father, I've traveled all over Europe and I've seen
this same golden telephone in many churches. I'm told
that it is a direct line to Heaven, but in all of
Europe the price was $10,000 per call. Why is it so
cheap here?"
The priest smiled and answered, "You're in Greece now,
my son - it's a local call".
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